Jesus' One and Only Doctrine

Jesus only taught one doctrine:

John 5:19 NKJV — Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

He taught this one doctrine many ways.  "Take up your cross," "deny yourself," "follow me," "do everything to be seen by God and not man," "my sheep hear my voice," etc...  everything Jesus taught was that man should not lead himself, but must hear and see God and do what God says.

Any other doctrine is false.

That makes the doctrine of Jesus PRAYER.  Not talking at God, but rather listening to God.  This was also the apostle's doctrine.

Acts 2:40-47 NKJV — And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

Those saved that day in Acts 2 found the first believers in the doctrine of Jesus:  they were denying themselves, taking up their cross and following Jesus... But they were all together in one room! They followed Jesus into waiting on God to change them, not the world.

Jesus' doctrine is, "not my will, but your's, Father."

The first believers in Acts 2 were doing what Jesus taught: nothing without the Father. 

They were waiting on the Father to move.  They weren't moving, evangelizing, serving, witnessing, healing, prophesying, casting out demons, calling out the wicked... None of that... For God.  

They were waiting for God to do that for them.

Their doctrine was love.  Love led them to obey.  Obeying meant waiting, because that was Jesus' doctrine and commandment:

Luke 24:47-53 NKJV — “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. “And you are witnesses of these things. “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

Do you see? Their life was one of prayer and waiting for God to move.  This was Jesus' doctrine.  They weren't praying for "those in need."  They were not "interceding" that Pilot would be replaced, or Herod cast down.  They weren't praying for freedom for the Jewish nation, or for conversion of the people around them.  No. We know EXACTLY what they were praying for when thousands all got brought into Jesus' doctrine in Acts 2.  They were doing Joel 2:

Acts 2:14-21 NKJV — But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. “For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.  And on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days;

And they shall prophesy.  I will show wonders in heaven above

And signs in the earth beneath:

Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.  The sun shall be turned into darkness,

And the moon into blood,

Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.  And it shall come to pass

That whoever calls on the name of the LORD

Shall be saved.’

They did Joel 2 and thousands got saved!

Peter testified what they were all praying about for those 10 days:  what Joel prophesied!

Joel 2:12-13 NKJV — “Now, therefore,” says the LORD,

“Turn to Me with all your heart,

With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments;

Return to the LORD your God,

For He is gracious and merciful,

Slow to anger, and of great kindness;

And He relents from doing harm.

They were praying about themselves and how they didn't have what it takes to represent Jesus well.  Then God answered and gave them what it takes to represent Jesus well: an open heart and a powerful God.

The doctrine of Jesus is to get MY will out of God's way... To rend my heart.  To do something internal, not external. 

The misguided church of our day, just as Paul prophesied to Timothy, is being led to be super busy getting in God's way, not praying for the power that humbles a person and allows them to represent Jesus well.  Having a form of Godliness, but denying it's power!

God doesn't need His people to tell Him what to do with everyone else.  He wants His people to let Him in!

You might say, "shouldn't we all be praying for the sick and needy... Shouldn't we be out there saving people?"  What does the Spirit teach?

James 5:14-16 NKJV — Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

What did Jesus do?  What did He teach? What is Jesus' actual doctrine?

**Don't do anything God isn't doing with you**

All my doing has to be to give myself to God, not man. 

This is Jesus' doctrine!  If you are sick, you should definitely ask for prayer, but wandering around like a lone wolf praying for what you think God ought to do for everybody else isn't Jesus' doctrine! Jesus' doctrine is to get our doubt out of the way, our self-leadership, our self focus, our self saving... To confess our sin, not everyone else's, so we can let the Lord's Spirit IN to US.  The Holy Spirit brings power with Him.

All of our evangelistic self-effort is doing nothing against the rising tide of evil in our day, nor should it. God should, and will, get all of the glory.

All of our offended dismay at how bad everyone is, our doctrinal brow-beating, and our spiritial advice isn't helping anyone.  All of our fact finding, finger pointing, guilt-imparting, and blame shifting... Even to those who deserve some blame... Isn't letting God IN to ME.  The only thing that can do that is my embrace of humility.  

Love is growing cold, false impersonators of the true Gospel fruit are rising up all around.  We must learn to endure in Jesus' doctrine.  Jesus is 100% a man, just like us. He came in the flesh to show fleshy people how to live in the Spirit. He is 100% God, but became a man all the way.

2 John 1:4-11 NKJV — I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

This is why we pray: Not to tell God what to do, but to get ourselves out of God's way so He can fill us with His leadership... His love... His power.  That is what God wants, because that is what the world around us needs: Him!  Jesus came in the flesh to show us how to really follow Him in laying down our will and letting God fill us with something we aren't.  Any impatient alternative to this is a false witness, not a helpful one.